The Dragon Prince: Alternates
by Minecraftelfdude
Summary: When siblings Kai and Nora are transported to the world of The Dragon Prince, they become embroiled in an epic storyline. Only, now the dragons and elves and evil mages aren't make believe. And the war is real. (UPDATED EVERY SUNDAY)
1. Kai and Nora

Long ago, Xadia was one land rich in magic and wonder. In the old times, there were only the six Primal Sources of magic.

The **Sun**.

The **Moon**.

The **Stars**.

The **Earth**.

The **Sky**.

And the **Ocean**.

But a thousand years ago, a human mage discovered new magic - the seventh source. Dark Magic.

It used the essence within magical creatures themselves to unleash dark power. Horrified by what they saw, the elves and the dragons put a stop to the madness. They drove every last human to the west. And so, the continent was divided in two.

In the east, the magical lands of Xadia.

And in the west, the human kingdoms.

For centuries, the King of the Dragons himself defended the border. The humans called him Thunder, for when he spoke, his voice shook the Earth and the sky. But on the eve of last Winter's Turn, the humans used unspeakable Dark Magic to slay Thunder. Then, without mercy, they destroyed his only egg, his heir the Dragon Prince.

Now the world stands on the edge of all-out war.

**BOOK ONE:**

**MOON**

**CHAPTER ONE:**  
**KAI AND NORA**

We find ourselves in a much more familiar setting, not one full of magic and wonder, but of dirty clothes and smelly socks. Kai's room; a place no one normally dared enter, well, besides his sister Nora. She wasn't especially _normal_.

_Beep beep! Beep beep! Beep beep!_

Kai let out a low groan from beneath his bedsheets and reached out toward the alarm clock next to his bed. He slammed a hand on it, and rolled off his bed, landing in a heap of socks, and maybe some old pizza boxes. He stretched out, hitting his head on his bedside table.

"Crap!" He rubbed his head, and then got up grumpily, trying to scratch that annoying part of your back you can never reach.

He didn't bother opening his blinds or changing clothes. He just pulled some sweatpants over his boxers and put on a hoodie. His hands reached into the hoodie's pockets and felt something sticky. Taking his hand out he discovered an old wad of gum, with some pieces of tissue stuck to it.

"Erghh." His face wrinkled up in disgust as he wiped his hand off on a bundled-up towel lying on the floor. Now that the icky old gum was disposed of, he could get to work. Work being: Trying to improve his level in League of Legends.

He took a seat at his desk where his gaming computer waited patiently. He pressed a button and the monitor sprang to life, bathing his face in holy light. He squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust, and then pulled up the game launcher. But wait…The most important thing was missing. Kai reached over to grab his phone and a pair of earphones. He thought some K/DA would be appropriate. Oh, if only his sister knew how much he secretly loved K-pop, she would rag on him non-stop.

"Kai!" A voice called from outside his door.

_Speak of the pink-haired devil. _

Suddenly, Kai's door swung open at a speed Kai could only compare to that of an AF Jet engine – okay obviously not THAT fast.

"Hey, hey, hey. Kai." Nora said, bobbing up and down. She was dressed in denim short-shorts, a purple hoodie, and her signature pink hair was covered by a beanie. A bunny-eared beanie. Her hazel-nut brown eyes were glowing with energy – as usual.

Kai sighed. "What do you want?"

"Well good morning to you too." She said while tip-toeing across his room, trying to avoid touching any of his dirty underwear or socks.

Kai had already launched the game and was busy setting up a match now. He was just waiting for his friends Dwayne and Brian to come online. Then the real fun would begin. Fun being: Kai totally wiping the floor with Dwayne and then Brian coming and kicking his ass as revenge.

While he was waiting, Kai became aware of Nora peeking over his shoulder. He turned around and glared at her. All she did was grin back. She was always like this. Even after everything that had happened in the last year…She was still so happy. Still so…ANNOYING.

"So, uh…Kai, you remember what you promised me like…two months and three days ago?" Nora asked suddenly.

Kai didn't turn to her. "What?"

Nora pouted. She always did.

"You said you'd watch The Dragon Prince with me…_Remember?_"

"When did I say that?" He asked, trying to sound genuinely confused. He remembered of course, but he didn't want her to know that.

"You said so…When we were making sandwiches for that homeless guy that lives down the street, ya know, the one that smells like syrup and likes to sing "Hit Me Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears?"

Kai rolled his eyes. "I know the one, Nora."

Nora huffed. She did that as well.

"Anyway…You said you'd watch it with me. And today seemed like a good day, ya know, cause it's summer vacation and all." She said and laced her fingers.

Kai sighed. "Nora…You know I'm not into that kind of stuff."

"But it's cool! And you like magic and swords and stuff, right?" Nora said, waving her arms up and down.

"Well yeah…But, cartoons are for kids."

Kai didn't even need to turn around to know that Nora's stare had gone stone cold.

_Uh oh. Here we go. _

"IT'S NOT A CARTOON. IT'S ANIME, AND ANIME IS NOT JUST FOR KIDS, IT'S FOR ADULTS TOO." She blasted into his ear - the one that wasn't listening to Akali's fire rap.

"Oh yeah, sure. And that other stuff you watch late at night on your laptop is anime, too right?"

Her cheeks flushed red. "It's called hentai and it's ART. And how do you know about that anyway!?"

Kai couldn't help but smile. "You don't clear your history. And your Password is the simplest thing to figure out. It's just your name backwards."

Nora's hands balled into fists and she began (softly) punching the back of Kai's chair.

"You are such a dick!" She shouted, as she sent a furious barrage of (soft) punches into the back of his head.

"That I am." Kai said and smiled. Dwayne and Brian were finally online. And Dwayne was already messaging him: "NOOB" …Ah, good old Dwayne.

"Okay, thanks for checking in Nora, but you've got to get lost now." Kai said and plugged his other earphone in. The sweet, sexy voice of Ahri was filling both his ears now.

Nora frowned. "But…"

Kai waved her off. Which – in hind sight – probably wasn't the best thing to do. Nora reached forward and furiously yanked Kai's earphones out.

"Ow! Hey, what's the big idea?" Kai shouted, turning and standing up. Even though he was two years older than her, she wasn't much smaller than him – a fact that had haunted him for many years.

"You're such a jerk! You promised to watch it with me. YOU PROMISED!" Nora retorted.

"For the love of God, Nora! Can't it wait?"

"I've BEEN waiting." She screamed. Louder now, and in his face. "Two whole months I've been asking you…Almost all of summer vacation. But you've been too "busy" to just watch one show with your little sister!" Tears were starting to trickle down her cheeks.

All of a sudden, Kai felt bad. _Really_ bad. Had she really been waiting for him that long? Just for one show?

"Nora…" He started.

"Ever since what happened with mom and dad..." She stopped herself. She was full-on crying now. "Forget it." Nora turned and started to walk away.

"Nora!"

"No, I wish I could just disappear! Then you wouldn't have to worry about me! I wish I could just disappear into a world that would actually care about me! A world that needs me!" Nora was stuttering through tears.

Kai reached out, but all he was able to grab a hold of was the top of her beanie. Nora pulled back, and the beanie came off, freeing her shoulder-length pink hair. Her eyes and nose were red from the tears and mucus.

Suddenly…Something happened.

The air…Was gone. At least for Nora it was. And she couldn't breathe. She fell down, helpless and unable to speak. Kai standing over her, shouting and screaming things at her. She couldn't understand anything he was saying…

"NORA! NORA!" Kai shouted, leaning down on the floor. Holding his sister's head in his hands.

Nora had asthma, so they kept a pump handy just in case of emergencies. It's also why she'd always been a homebody; she couldn't participate in school activities like sports, because she'd just get too worn out and have an attack. So, she hadn't made many friends…Kai knew this and yet…

"D-Don't worry…I-I-I'll go get your pump…It's okay." Kai felt the words choke in his mouth. She wasn't breathing. Her eyes were glazing over with a white, dead sheen.

Just as Kai stood up…He felt something too. It was as if the air was knocked from inside him. He'd only experienced something similar to this when he'd been knocked over by a huge tree branch, when him and Nora were building a treehouse with their dad.

The next thing Kai knew he was falling against his chair and his desk, his hands grasping for purchase, but slumping down like noodles. His head hit the floor of his room, and the last thing he remembered before blacking out, was the smell of stale pizza and smelly socks.


	2. Awakening

**Hey everyone, Minecraftelfdude here. Thanks so much for stopping by to read this story. I'm planning on releasing a new chapter at around the same time every day, so if you're interested enough in the first chapter, please look forward to more!**

**Each chapter will alternate between the two main character's stories (Kai and Nora) but there will also be some chapters where I alternate to other characters as well. I'll indicate where these happen accordingly. **

**If you guys have any thoughts or input, I'd love to hear them! I'm always open to suggestions, constructive criticisms, etc. Also, if you guys enjoy this fanfic of mine, make sure to fav it and follow so that you can stay up to date on it!**

**Anyway, I've been rambling for too long already. Please enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

Long ago, Xadia was one land rich in magic and wonder. In the old times, there were only the six Primal Sources of magic.

The **Sun**.

The **Moon**.

The **Stars**.

The **Earth**.

The **Sky**.

And the **Ocean**.

But a thousand years ago, a human mage discovered new magic - the seventh source. Dark Magic.

It used the essence within magical creatures themselves to unleash dark power. Horrified by what they saw, the elves and the dragons put a stop to the madness. They drove every last human to the west. And so, the continent was divided in two.

In the east, the magical lands of Xadia.

And in the west, the human kingdoms.

For centuries, the King of the Dragons himself defended the border. The humans called him Thunder, for when he spoke, his voice shook the Earth and the sky. But on the eve of last Winter's Turn, the humans used unspeakable Dark Magic to slay Thunder. Then, without mercy, they destroyed his only egg, his heir the Dragon Prince.

Now the world stands on the edge of all-out war, as two siblings from another world entirely begin their adventure…

**THE DRAGON PRINCE: ALTERNATES**

**BOOK ONE:**

**MOON**

**CHAPTER TWO:**

**AWAKENING**

When Nora woke, she found herself in a strange place. A very strange place indeed.

Light was streaming down from above her, blinding her eyes, and worsening the already uber-worse headache she had. She groaned and covered her eyes. Her head was pounding, and her mouth was dry. She had no idea where she was. But all around her she could smell an earthy fragrance. The smell of plants, and dirt, and other woodland scents. She could remember this smell, because it smelt just like the woods her and her brother used to visit with their dad.

_Woods? Why would I be in the-_

Nora sat up immediately and looked around attentively. She was sitting on a soft bed of moss and dried leaves, and above her was a canopy of tall trees. She could hear the soft twitting of a bird not far from where she was, as well as the scurrying of some small forest rodent in a bush. She blinked once, then twice, and rubbed her eyes.

_This definitely isn't Kai's room. _She thought to herself. _But…How did I get outside? Did I pass out? Did I have an attack? Maybe…I'm…_

Nora suddenly felt very alone, and very afraid, and the thought that she might actually be…you know…scared her.

Nora stood up slowly, waiting for some feeling to get back into her legs. She felt all stiff, like she hadn't moved in ages. She looked down to examine herself, and make sure everything was okay. She was still dressed in her short-shorts and her hoodie, and they were only lightly covered in some dirt and leaves, which she brushed off.

She pulled a leaf out of her pink hair and threw it away. Everything seemed to be intact. The only thing that was missing was-

Nora's hands felt all around the top of her head, and a pang of sadness filled her. Her bunny-eared beanie. The one she'd gotten for Christmas. It was gone.

"Aw…" Nora felt a waterfall of tears threatening to gush forth but managed to fight them off. She had to figure out where she was. Right now, that was more important than some beanie. Even if it pained her to admit that to herself. She was still just a thirteen-year-old girl after all.

Nora looked around. Nothing about this area seemed familiar, and even though it looked like almost any other average run-of-the-mill forest, there was something about the air of this place…It felt…different, almost magical.

That's when she noticed something. Just out of the corner of her eye was a bush, with bright red berries growing on them. They looked familiar. Nora walked over to the bush, and grabbed a handful of the fruit, examining them carefully. From the offset they seemed like any other kind of berry, but there was something about them, just like there was something about this forest.

"It can't be…" Nora muttered to herself.

She turned her head, and that's when she saw it. Her eyes widened in shock and awe, for far in the distance, rising out of the sea of trees like a mighty sail, was a large and very impressive castle. It was flagged on all sides by tall towers, the tallest of which had a balcony which jutted out, overlooking the whole area. Nora thought she saw a bird resting up there.

"Wait…No, no, no…This can't be…" Nora looked back over at the berries, and then around at the forest surrounding her. This scene…It was all too familiar. This was from The Dragon Prince. She was _in_ The Dragon Prince.

"Holy crapballs."

Nora stumbled back, nearly falling over and into the Moonberry bush. Yeah, this was a Moonberry bush, and these were Moonberries she was holding, and she was _in_ the FREAKIN DRAGON PRINCE.

She felt something suddenly, in the zip pocket of her hoodie. Reaching in with her free hand she felt around and grabbed onto something, pulling out Kai's earphones, which were still attached to his phone. She must have still been holding onto them when she'd passed out.

_Or died._ She thought, but even as grim as that sounded, she couldn't help but smile. Even if she was dead, she'd somehow been transported to here. She was actually in one of her favourite shows!

_IS THIS HEAVEN? _Nora mused, giggling stupidly, when all of a sudden, the sound of baying horses stopped her.

Nora turned her head quickly and ducked behind the bush. Not far from where she was, she saw around half a dozen horses, all with riders, sprinting down the forest path. They seemed to be in some kind of hurry.

_Wait. Could it be?_

When she was sure none of the riders had seen her, Nora stood up and began following behind, making sure to pocket some Moonberries beforehand. After a while of dipping behind trees, and jumping over fallen logs, Nora finally came to the outskirts of a small clearing. The clearing was empty, save for a large hollow log and a few boulders.

The group of riders had arrived just before her, and the head rider had dismounted. He was tall, muscular, blond haired and blue eyed. He wore a heavy suit of armour and kept a sword at his side. He seemed a bit annoyed, when a beautiful blue moth landed on his hand.

"Surprising no one, a magic moth is just as worthless as a regular moth." He said in a voice Nora recognized immediately.

_It's Soren!_

Soren tossed the moth back into the air, and it fluttered away before resting on a tree. "We'll have to wait for the elves to come to us." He said and walked back to his horse, pulling back on a low hanging branch on his way.

_Oh Soren, you simple, simply boy. _Nora thought, and shifted nervously behind the tree she was hiding by. Once Soren had remounted, the soldiers strode off back into the depths of the forest, and back towards the castle.

_Here it comes…_Nora thought, gripping the bark of the tree in anticipation. As if on cue, several trees in the clearing suddenly morphed into humanoid forms. Elves. Among them was Rayla, the beautiful, white-haired, purple-eyed elf assassin. As well as her super-hot superior Runaan, who Nora had a crush on.

"You lied to me - you let him go!" Runaan shouted. He was seething.

_He's so cute when he's angry. _Nora thought, blushing lightly, before shaking her head. _Not the time Nora! _

"Runaan, I'm sorry! The human, he looked up at me and I saw the fear in his eyes." Rayla pleaded back.

_Yeah, come on man. _Nora tried to stay as quiet as possible, although she could swear she heard her heart thumping in her ears.

"Of course, he was afraid. But you had a job to do!"

Rayla's hands clenched into fists. "He didn't do anything to me! How could I take his life?" She asked.

_You tell him girl. _Nora thought silently. _Although I still love you Runaan. _

"You let him live but you've killed us all!" Runaan's voice echoed through the clearing, and sent goose bumps up and down Nora's arms and back. This was so much more intense, being here in person.

_Wait…Being here in person. _Nora stood back from the tree. _Then, that means that everything that happens in the show…Is going to happen as planned? Even…_Nora turned her eyes back in the direction of the castle. If everything _did_ go as planned, then by the end of this evening, King Harrow would be killed. Nora's eyes went wide, and she slunk back against the tree again.

_If I were to…No. I can't do that. I can't STOP what's supposed to happen. _Nora began anxiously fidgeting with her hoodie's pull string. She always fidgeted with something when she was under stress.

_Can I?_ She thought.

The noise of the elves discussing things between themselves quietly made Nora realise she was still there, hiding behind a tree. She had to get out of there before they found her. As much as she loved them, right now, at this stage of the story, they wouldn't respond especially well to seeing a human.

_But where will I go? I'm finally in my dream world…But where…_She looked back at the elves. Rayla, with her head bowed down shamefully. Runaan, whispering something to one of his comrades, agitation evident on his face.

A feeling of determination came over Nora suddenly, from where she didn't necessarily know, but once she was sure she was at a safe enough distance away from the elves, she began sprinting to the castle.

* * *

Kai had no idea where he was. All he knew, was that he was tired, sore, and he was hungry. Really hungry. He hadn't had breakfast yet of course, but he didn't think he'd be having his favourite Crispy Choco Balls with Syrup anytime soon.

He'd woken up in a forest. Nora was gone, and all he had with him was her weird bunny ear beanie. He'd woken with a headache, but it had passed almost as soon as it had come, and once he had some kind of grasp over the situation, he began walking.

He had no idea where he was, or where he was going, but he could see some buildings not far from where he was, so he thought that would be a good start. He had to find out where he was and find Nora, so they could get back home.

Suddenly the sound of fastly approaching _clip-clopping _stopped him in his tracks. He turned around, his hood up and Nora's beanie safely tucked away in his sweatpants pocket. Six riders in full sets of armour were approaching. They were on horses.

_Horses? _Kai rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing things correctly. You didn't normally see a bunch of people casually riding on horses in Minnesota. _Ugh, face it Kai. This DEFINITELY isn't Minnesota. _

Kai realised sooner than later that they were riding directly at him, so he stepped out of the way. Even so, the riders stopped next to him, their horses baying, and their riders eyeing him suspiciously.

"Uh…Hi?" Kai said and raised a hand.

This otherwise friendly but awkward gesture was met by a quickly drawn sword pointed at his face. The sword was held by the head rider, their leader Kai guessed. He didn't seem that much older than Kai, but he was certainly _bigger_ than him. He had blond hair and blue eyes, and he wore a sort of goofily confident look on his face.

Thug Goofy's eye's narrowed. "And who might you be? You're not an elf in disguise, are you? Reveal yourself!"

Kai rolled his eyes, but with a sword pointed at his face he wasn't in any place to argue with this dolt. "Just because my ears are a bit sticky-outie doesn't mean I'm an elf." He said and pulled off his hood, revealing his messy brown hair and brown eyes. He hadn't washed his hair in a week since summer vacation had started, so he surmised from the riders' faces that he probably looked like the rear end of their horses.

Soren's eyes narrowed further. He didn't especially like the look of this kid. Just then, one of his fellow guards tapped him on the shoulder.

"Sir, he doesn't look like anyone I've seen in town before. He could be an outsider from one of the other kingdoms." She said.

Soren frowned and then asked, "What are you doing out in the forest peasant kid?"

"Looking for idiots. Oh look, I found one." Kai retorted quickly without thinking. The next thing he knew he was knocked over the side of the head with the pommel of Soren's sword, falling flat on the ground, his head throbbing once again.

"Says the guy that just fell, like an…idiot…faller." Soren attempted, looking back at his rider's for support. None of them so much as blinked. "Ya know…because he fell."

On the ground, Kai gritted his teeth. _That's it._

Kai jumped to his feet and swung for Soren's leg, but instead hit the side of his horse, causing the poor animal to buck suddenly.

"Whoa, whoa…Easy! Calm down horsey!" Soren held on to the reins for dear life, but the horse had already decided his fate. It bucked up and down, eventually sending Soren sprawling in the air, finally landing on the ground face first.

Kai smirked, even though he knew know that he was practically dead.

_Now's my chance to run. I've got to find Nora and get out of this crazy place!_ Kai thought and made a break for it. He didn't get far though, as Soren leapt forward off the ground and grabbed his legs.

"Ahhhhh!" Kai cried out and fell face first into the dirt.

Soren laughed triumphantly. "I got you now, Mr Faller." He said, grabbing the helpless Kai into a headlock. "You're coming with us."

Kai coughed dirt and groaned. _Oh no…_


	3. Sunfall

**_(Hey everyone, it's Minecraftelfdude! ^_^ Wait what? O_o What do you mean I haven't updated this doc in 362 Days? ;-; That can't be right...OH SHI-  
_**

**_In all seriousness though, I apologise for the lack of updates. I was a tad to ambitious with my "one chapter a day" promise, and I'm sorry for not following through with that. What with college kicking my ass, and other irl responsibilities it was just not feasible for me to write a chapter every day. That being said, I am going to try an update at least once a week from now on. Every Sunday at around 11AM EST to be exact! So, if you would like, please continue sticking with Kai and Nora!_**

**_Finally, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that favorited, followed and reviewed this fanfic while I was gone. I was so touched to see all of this support! I'm planning on doing a response to any reviews/questions I get in the future, but for now, I've taken up enough of your time. On to Chapter 3! _**٩(^ᴗ^)۶

* * *

**_PREVIOUSLY, ON THE DRAGON PRINCE: ALTERNATES_**

Brother and Sister duo, Kai and Nora have found themselves transported to the magical world of The Dragon Prince! Awakening in a strange new place, they begin exploring, only to meet some familiar characters. With a new resolve, Nora rushes to the capital of Kotolis in a race against time to stop an impending assassination. Meanwhile, Kai finds himself in a bit of a predicament when he meets the hopeless captain of the guard, Soren. Read on to find out how their adventure continues…

THE DRAGON PRINCE: ALTERNATES

BOOK ONE:

MOON

CHAPTER THREE:

SUNFALL

By the time Nora reached the intimidating, metal gate leading into the Castle's courtyard, she was so out of breath, she had to prop herself against a nearby wall. It had taken much longer to get here than she had anticipated, and taking her asthma into account, she had to take several breaks in between to catch her breath.

_I have to be careful not to push myself to hard. _Nora thought. _I'm no use to King Harrow and the princes if I'm crawling on the floor, half-dead. _

She stopped her train of thought for a second and sighed. _Ugh, I'm starting to sound like Mom. _

Nora stood up straight, taking one last deep breath – not that it really helped – and fixed her bright pink hair. There were two guards standing at the gate, a man and a woman, and as Nora approached them, the woman stepped forward to stop her.

"Can I help you…citizen?" The guard asked, clearly perplexed by this red-faced, sweaty and breathless girl's odd appearance. Nora played it cool.

"Uhm…yeah-I mean yes!" She exclaimed. Okay, maybe not so cool.

The guards glanced wearily at one another, while at the same time not trying to seem rude. Nora, once again, couldn't help but begin fidgeting with her hoodie pull string.

"I um…I…" Nora started, when all of a sudden, a brilliant – albeit highly risky – idea popped into her mind. "I come on behalf of General Amaya. She has an urgent message for the King, that she needs to be delivered…urgently." She said in her most courteous "important" voice, while crossing her fingers behind her back.

The female guard's eyes quickly turned suspicious, as she took a step closer. "What message? We were never informed about this."

"Um…uh, it was very sudden and…urgent circumstances that pushed General Amaya's hand. I apologize on behalf of her." Nora awkwardly bowed, before shooting straight up again, a nervous smile plastered on her face.

_WHY ARE YOU SMILING SO WIDE? You must look like a LUNATIC. _

"Well then, I'm sure we can pass the message on."

"Oh…um, I'm supposed to deliver the message _directly_ to the King." She continued.

The guard simply frowned and looked back at her partner. Nora understood why they were hesitant, of course.

_They must have heard by now…About Runaan and the other Moonshadow elves. It makes sense that they'd be a bit sceptical about a weird, sweaty, pink-haired girl who may, or may not be a murderous assassin. Or at the very least, one of those really annoying tourists._

"I'm sorry, but it's guard protocol that we–"

Nora had to think of some kind of solution. And fast.

"Oh, no that's okay I understand." She said, raising her hands. "I'll just give you guys the message."

What followed was – at the very least – a full minute of complicated hand signs and gestures. Nora smiled the whole way throughout, while the guards stood and watched, even more perplexed than they were before.

_Yes! I knew those online ASL courses would pay off. Thanks Amaya. _

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to the guards, Nora completed relaying her "message", and folded her arms.

"You got that?" She asked.

Both guards remained perfectly still, and perfectly silent.

"Um…" The female guard finally started, "maybe we could just escort you to the King?" She turned back to look to her fellow guard for confirmation, to which he nodded.

"That checks out." He simply said.

Nora beamed. "Yee-hoo! Aweso…" She cleared her throat loudly. "I mean, thank you very much."

Another awkward bow.

* * *

"Ughh…" Kai groaned, stiffly stretching. "Huh?"

His arms were tied behind his head. He was in handcuffs, chained to a wall.

"Wait…what?" Kai looked around desperately. He appeared to be in some kind of cell, and it was too dark for him to see anything beyond a few feet in front of him.

"Hello? Is anybody there!?" Kai called out, surprised to hear the rising panic in his own voice.

_Just calm down Kai…It's not like before. It's not…_

"Someone?!" He cried, his voice bouncing back around him.

The last time Kai had ever heard himself sound so frightened, was when he was nine years old. He and Nora had been out hiking with their dad, when he'd wandered off and stumbled into a cave. It took several hours, but eventually Nora had heard him sobbing and crying from outside the cave entrance. Kai, of course – being the "confident" older brother – felt ashamed of himself, but Nora hadn't seemed to mind at all, she was relieved in fact. It was only later that they found out that the cave was home to a big momma bear, one who – thankfully – hadn't been around.

_Dad got in so much trouble with mom because of that…Because of me…_

"Shit!" Kai kicked out in front of him, sending dust flying up into the air. Sneezing and coughing ensued as Kai sat in silence for another few minutes. And then…a door opened, and he was bathed in candlelight.

Kai looked up, seeing two silhouettes standing in the door frame. A bulkier, more muscular one – maybe wearing armour? – and a sleek figure, dressed in black. Kai didn't get any major bad vibes from the first person, but there was something about the second. Something…unsettling.

That's when a familiar voice began to speak, much to Kai's chagrin.

"This was the peasant kid I was telling you about dad." Soren said, turning to his father, Lord Viren. Viren was holding a candlestick in one hand, and a basket in the other. "I highly doubt he's with the elves though – I mean, look at him."

"I can hear you, you know?" Kai retorted.

"Oh, look at that, you're awake! My dad has some questions for you Mr. Faller."

"Dad? Really, I can't see the resemblance."

Viren walked over, stooping down so that he could be on Kai's level, and placed the candlestick down next to him. His eyes were on fire, to Kai it seemed. Burning with years of knowledge…and tragedy. Tragedy he had experienced…and committed himself. It sent shivers down Kai's spine.

"We get that a lot." Viren said, lightly touching the basket in his hands. Kai eyed them both with equal suspicion.

"You, uh, got any churros in there?" He asked.

Silence.

"I'll take that as a n–"

"What were you doing in the forest, all by yourself?" Viren interjected. "Surely you must have heard about the…Moonshadow elves sighted in the area?" His expression seemed genuine enough. Almost too genuine.

_That pause…Is this some kind of trap? He wants me to know about them. _

"M-Moonshadow elves? No…I uh, I had no idea. I was just looking for…someone."

Viren smiled, clearly growing more intrigued. "Is that so? And who, _exactly_, were you looking for?"

Kai shifted anxiously, wincing at the cuffs cutting into his wrists. Viren – noticing this – placed the basket down and raised his left hand to the chains. Suddenly, a stream of incompressible words began flooding from his mouth, as tendrils of smoke weaved around his arm, and onto the chains. Kai watched in disbelief as the chains and cuffs began to slowly melt away, until they were completely gone. He was free.

"W-What…How did you…?" Kai's voice trailed off, noticing Viren's eyes.

_Were those wrinkles there before…? _

"Ah, that's much better now. I apologize for the way that you have been treated thus far. Know that, as the King of Katolis' most trusted advisor, I was simply acting out of concern." Viren spoke with a soft, methodical voice.

"Concern?" Kai replied, with just enough of an ounce of disbelief, as to cause Viren to choose his next words very carefully.

"Yes…You see, as the King's advisor, it is my sworn duty to make sure that all newcomers to Katolis, are thoroughly investigated. In times such as these, it doesn't hurt to be a bit cautious, what with Moonshadow elves skulking around our borders."

Kai's eyes shifted to the ground nervously, as he rubbed his sore wrists.

Viren took note of this.

"Come to think of it…If that, _someone_, you were looking for still happened to be in the forest. I would very much hope that they didn't come across any elves."

Soren laughed. "Oh yeah, I mean that would be really bad. You know how elves can get, all slishy-slashy. I'll tell ya, I've seen enough massacres before to prove that. _Lots_ of blood."

Kai's eyes widened for a brief moment. If Nora was all alone out there…But what if this was some kind of trick?

_He _did _free me. Maybe…_

"My sister…she uh…she's not very good at running, or physical stuff like that. She gets tired really quickly and she can lose her breath easily. So, I'm worried about her. If she is out there…" Kai paused.

Just then, Viren's hand dipped into his pocket, retrieving a familiar purple and blue bunny beanie. "You were carrying this, when my son found you."

"And pummelled him into the ground." Soren added.

Viren sighed, passing the beanie to Kai.

"Yeah, it's my sister's. It's a bunny beanie."

"False!" Soren objected, raising a finger. "That isn't made from either bunnies, or beans." He concluded, crossing his arms.

Silence, again.

"It's a kind of hat." Kai explained, rolling his eyes.

"And she wore it often?" Viren asked.

Kai nodded. "Yeah, ever since she got it for Christmas."

"What's Christmas?" Soren piped in.

Viren ignored him, promptly replying with a smile. "Well, there might be a way we could find her. You will have to wait however, while I attend to some other business."

"But…if these elves are as dangerous as you guys say then–"

"Then I will do everything in my power to find her." He said, finally rising from the floor with both the candle and basket in hand. "In the meanwhile, Soren can keep you company."

"Eh?" Soren looked to his father as he passed. "But dad…"

"Isn't that right, _son_?" Viren said in a low tone, passing the candlestick to Soren.

"Right…" Soren replied quietly.

Kai watched as Viren made his way back to the door, carrying that strange basket. Unless he was imagining it – which seemed likely given this whole other world scenario – Kai could have sworn he heard a soft hissing coming from inside. Viren opened the door.

"The sun is falling. It's nearly time." He whispered.

The door slammed shut behind him.

"Sooooooooooooooooo…" Soren said after a long, awkward silence. "No hard feelings, right? I mean, you shouldn't really feel bad about me completely owning you earlier or anything, you wouldn't be the first person. So yeah…And you have a sister? That's cool, I have a sister too, her name's Claudia. Dad says she's super talented with magic but honestly, I think she's kind of airy-fairy, too in her head you know? This one time she–" And on, and on, and on.

Kai blanked out midway through, glancing down at Nora's beanie. He couldn't help but feel like this was all his fault. Again.

_Ugh…Nora, wherever you are, please…_

Meanwhile elsewhere in the castle, unbeknownst to Kai, Soren, and even Viren – not but a few moments ago, a young elf assassin had breached the walls. And by now, she'd found her supposed target: the heir to the throne of Katolis, Prince Ezran.

* * *

"Whoa…" Nora looked up in awe at the tall ceilings, and ornate chandeliers above her. The only thing that came close to what she was feeling right now, was the feeling she had visiting the Wizarding World on her 11th Birthday.

_I mean, that was cool, don't get me wrong but…This is the real deal._

"This is so cool…" She said, giggling.

Her two escorts simply remained silent, as they all passed by a large window, looking out over the city. Nora ran up to it and pressed her forehead against the glass, admiring the sight only seen in storybooks.

"Katolis is beautiful, is it not?" The female guard asked.

"Mhm." Nora said, with a massive grin on her face. The last light of the sun began pouring over her, warming her up.

_Wait._

Nora quickly turned to the guards, who stepped back in surprise.

"Ah! Um…I'm sorry, but is there a bathroom somewhere?" She asked.

"Didn't you say that your message was urgent?"

"Well yes but um…"

_THINK._

"I um, well you see," Nora lowered her voice, "I'm having some girl problems so…"

"I see…Well um." The female guard immediately looked over to her companion who quickly averted his gaze and began whistling awkwardly.

"There is one nearby, please follow me."

Nora awkwardly and quickly bowed once again, before following the guard down a long corridor. While walking, Nora kept an eye out for any grates or something that she could make use of but kept getting distracted by the attention to detail in the castle.

"Here you go. This is primarily used for servants going in and out of the main corridors." The female guard explained as they reached a wooden door. "I hope this will be okay for your needs."

Nora beamed. "Thank you! It should be." And with that she stepped inside…closely followed by the guard. "Oh um…"

The guard noticed her hesitance and nodded. "If it was Mikael, I would have insisted he stay outside, however – as a soldier of Katolis, and as a guard to King Harrow…I have to keep an eye on you. I'm sorry."

_It makes sense. At least she's honest about it…I can respect that. Still, it's going to make finding a way to escape from her a hell of a lot more difficult! _

"You don't have to be sorry, I understand." Nora smiled, and it seemed as if the guard lightly smiled back, before returning to her serious, soldierly stature.

"I will wait here," She pointed, just outside of a small cubicle, and took her position.

Nora nodded before heading over to the toilet and closing the cubicle door behind her. _Gotta find a way…Out of here…_She noticed a rough, dirty hemp lying on the floor. It stank…_really_ bad. _Oof, I forgot that this was a medieval fantasy world…Guess toilet paper hasn't been invented here yet. _

"How long have you been working under General Amaya, if you don't mind me asking?"

Nora was surprised by the guard's voice, as she searched desperately for a…Grate. One just behind the toilet!

"Ummm…" Nora quickly bent down, feeling around the edge, trying to see if she could open the grate up without making any noise.

"Would you prefer I didn't ask? I'm sorry, I just thought that it would lighten the mood a little–"

"No, no, no it's fine. Um…I uh…" Nora's hands and fingers scrambled around the grate's sides, as she finally managed to find a gap to open it. "I've been with her for a while…Um, since I was very young in fact!"

_AH HAH!_

"Oh, I see." The guard pondered. "You certainly remind me of her a bit, if you don't mind me saying."

Nora couldn't help but smile – _Even though I'm trying to ditch her._

"Thank you, that's very kind of you! Um, so what is your name, if you don't mind _me _asking."

The guard let out a small, slightly audible giggle. "Shaynon. My name is Shaynon."

"That's a very pretty name." Nora said, slowly lifting the grate up.

"O-oh…thank you very much." Shaynon replied, and Nora could _hear_ the blush in her voice as she slowly began to crawl into the wall.

"You're welcome."

A long silence passed as Shaynon stood outside the cubicle. Eventually, she couldn't help but knock on the door.

"Um, is everything okay in there?"

No reply.

"Milady?"

Nothing.

Shaynon stepped back, and with a _HUMPH_,kicked down the door.

The cubicle was empty, the grate perfectly put back in its original place. Shaynon clenched her teeth and slammed her fist against the wall.

Nora was gone.


End file.
